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Division Spotlight
Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy
The mission of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Policy Division (NNPD) is to promote the peaceful use of nuclear technology while simultaneously preventing the diversion and misuse of nuclear material and technology through appropriate safeguards and security, and promotion of nuclear nonproliferation policies. To achieve this mission, the objectives of the NNPD are to: Promote policy that discourages the proliferation of nuclear technology and material to inappropriate entities. Provide information to ANS members, the technical community at large, opinion leaders, and decision makers to improve their understanding of nuclear nonproliferation issues. Become a recognized technical resource on nuclear nonproliferation, safeguards, and security issues. Serve as the integration and coordination body for nuclear nonproliferation activities for the ANS. Work cooperatively with other ANS divisions to achieve these objective nonproliferation policies.
Meeting Spotlight
International Conference on Mathematics and Computational Methods Applied to Nuclear Science and Engineering (M&C 2025)
April 27–30, 2025
Denver, CO|The Westin Denver Downtown
Standards Program
The Standards Committee is responsible for the development and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards that address the design, analysis, and operation of components, systems, and facilities related to the application of nuclear science and technology. Find out What’s New, check out the Standards Store, or Get Involved today!
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Sam Altman steps down as Oklo board chair
Advanced nuclear company Oklo Inc. has new leadership for its board of directors as billionaire Sam Altman is stepping down from the position he has held since 2015. The move is meant to open new partnership opportunities with OpenAI, where Altman is CEO, and other artificial intelligence companies.
Dr. Joseph R. Dietrich served as president of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) from 1977-1978. In addition, he served on the Society’s Board of Directors from 1958 to 1961, and again from 1977 to 1980. He was a Fellow of ANS.
Dr. Dietrich was internationally known for a pioneering career in nuclear power reactor development that spanned more than thirty years.
He was born on August 25, 1914 and began his nuclear career in 1946, when he joined the Daniels Pile development project in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. In 1948, he moved to Argonne National Laboratory, where he was in charge of reactor physics and shielding design for the prototype nuclear power plant for the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered submarine. At Argonne he was also in charge of the planning, theory, and experimental instrumentation for the BORAX experiments, at the conclusion of which he directed the physics work for the experimental boiling water reactor. During 1953-54, Dietrich took part in the first large-scale reactor safety experiments at the National Reactor Testing Station.
In 1956, with the founding of General Nuclear Engineering Corporation, he joined the company as a vice president. Later, after the company had been purchased by Combustion Engineering, Inc., Dietrich became chief scientist in Combustion Engineering’s Nuclear Power Systems Division, a position he held until his retirement in February 1980.
Dr. Dietrich earned his B.S. in physics and chemistry from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, and M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from University of Virginia in 1937 and 1939, respectively.
Dr. Joseph R. Dietrich passed away on November 4, 1982.
Read Nuclear News from July 1977 for more on Joseph R. Dietrich.
Last modified January 20, 2021, 12:17pm CST
